Engineer’s report says local creek in Shelby can accommodate STAMP site

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 14 March 2022 at 4:26 pm

SHELBY – An engineer’s report says discharges from the STAMP manufacturing site can be handled by Oak Orchard Creek, although some revisions are needed to protect from erosion near the outlet of a 24-inch pipe from STAMP to Oak Orchard Creek on Route 63.

Wendel, an engineering firm, did an independent review of designs and engineering from Clark Patterson Lee and JM Davidson Engineering, analyzing the plan for a force main project from the STAMP site about 8 miles north to Shelby.

Wendel reviewed the designs for having up to 6 million gallons of water discharged daily into the creek. The Genesee County Economic Development Center paid for the review, Shelby town officials said.

The GCEDC is having the force main designed and permitted for up to 6 million gallons of discharge into the creek. If STAMP needs more than 6 million, Shelby Town Supervisor Jeff Smith said the town should ask GCEDC and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to have additional analysis on the impact in Shelby on those discharges.

Wendel agrees with JM Davidson that STAMP discharges “will not have a noticeable impact on the 100-year elevations downstream nor will it have an impact on the stream velocity or water levels,” according to the Wendel report dated Feb. 22.

The Town Board accepted the report during its meeting on Thursday. Smith said the report should ease concerns from economic development officials that the water from STAMP could overtax the local creek and not leave much capacity for other businesses that may come to Shelby in the future.

Wendel did say the current design should be improved to better mitigate erosion where the force main discharges into Oak Orchard Creek. Wendel said there should be more stone protection to help prevent erosion. The current design is too thin with rip-rap, Wendel said.

The firm also said more detail is needed in the design of the outlet structure’s shape in determining the flow characteristics exiting the outlet. And, Wendel said, there is an existing ditch near where the force main will send water. The engineers should explain how the discharges could impact water flows to that ditch.